Thursday, September 02, 2010

What is Gerald Elias reading?

I just started The Good Rain, a wonderfully written book in 1990 by Timothy Egan the Seattle correspondent for the New York Times. In it, he explores the Northwest, comparing how nature has fared in the past one-and-a-half centuries in its struggle against encroaching humanity. He is a fluent essayist, naturalist, historian, and adventurer and the book is just beautiful to read. I have a particularly strong connection to the Northwest: my wife, Cecily, is from Eugene, Oregon, where her father, Clyde, had been a long time geography professor at UO. Cecily took me on a camping trip up the Rogue River way back in the 70s at a time when I (being from Long Island) still considered going to Jones Beach an adventure. Our son, Jacob, graduated UO and now lives in Portland, and our daughter, Kate, lives in Seattle. In fact, I recently returned from performances at a music festival in Sunriver, Oregon, which is where...[read on]

"...the twists and turns of his plotting will keep readers guessing. The real hook here, however, is the insider’s view of the musical world; Elias is a well-known violinist and professor of music."--Booklist

"Elias’s...new book is outstanding. A musical feast for mystery and music lovers."--Library Journal

"..riveting insights into violin bowing, maestros’ mannerisms and the interpretation of musical scores."--Kirkus